Charity provides funeral for Chicago baby

Deacon Pierce Sheehan of St. James Parish in Arlington Heights blesses the remains of baby Za’neephiuce Johnson on Friday at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines. The baby was found dead in Rogers Park in November and was not claimed by any family. A charity group called Rest In His Arms arranged for a funeral. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune)

A brown teddy bear leaned against a small white casket topped with a bouquet of blue flowers as a church member sang Brahms' "Lullaby."

Of the 100 or so people who gathered Friday at St. James Parish in Arlington Heights, none had ever met the infant they'd come to mourn, a boy named Za'neephiuce Johnson, who was not even 3 months old when he died in November of undetermined causes. His family never claimed his remains from the Cook County medical examiner's office.

So Rest in His Arms stepped in. The northwest suburban-based nonprofit, which more typically provides funerals for abandoned babies whose names and parents are unknown, arranged for Friday's memorial service and burial for the child volunteers had nicknamed Baby Za.

"Baby Za lived only a short time, but his life has immeasurable value and meaning beyond what we might be able to make of it here on earth," said Susan Walker, who founded the charity group. "He is a child of God and deserves the respect of a dignified funeral and burial. ... It is a privilege to serve him in this way and stand up for the defenseless."

Jim McPherrin of Prospect Heights was among the mourners. He said he came to "pay my respects to this innocent child."

"It's such a suffering," he said. "Regretfully, this isn't my first funeral (arranged by Rest in His Arms)."

Through a network of donors and volunteers, the organization has provided funerals to more than 30 babies abandoned in the Chicago area since its creation in 2005, Walker said. The group provides Christian burials to the children, but if it has knowledge that a child's family is of a different religious tradition, volunteers will provide a more inclusive, nondenominational service, she said.

Though Za'neephiuce's identity was known, the circumstances of his death remain somewhat mysterious.

The boy, who lived in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood with his mother and her partner, was pronounced dead Nov. 23 at Presence St. Francis Hospital in Evanston — the place where he was born nearly three months before.

Chicago police, who investigated the death but did not file charges, said the couple had checked on the baby through the course of the night but found him "unresponsive" that morning.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services also investigated and last month issued a finding of neglect against the mother and her partner after investigators found "unsafe sleep conditions," said DCFS spokeswoman Karen Hawkins. Police said there was no crib in the apartment and that the baby typically slept on a love seat.

The child welfare agency had received a neglect complaint involving the baby less than 24 hours before his death.

Neither the mother, her partner nor other relatives could be reached for comment. The couple does not have other children, officials said.

During Friday's service, though, the Rev. Matt Foley of St. James urged those assembled to focus on celebrating the boy's life, not judging anyone.

He asked mourners not to be "self-righteous, but to be righteous."

"Baby Za at birth had life, hope and joy. We all share in that joy," he said. "Baby Za didn't become a child. (We) are gathering here hopefully to do something different in the world. ... Embrace the sacredness of life from the womb to the tomb."

Attendee Mary Farrow of Palatine said she prays "for the parents and the hurt they are feeling."

After the service, a procession of cars followed the boy's remains to All Saints Catholic Cemetery in Des Plaines, where Za'neephiuce was laid to rest in the Holy Innocents section.

At the grave site, Walker released a blue balloon with a note attached: "To Heaven with Love."

Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter; Christy Gutowski is a Tribune reporter.